Jesus teaches us not to put stumbling blocks in front of others. It grieves me to think of the stumbling blocks that I might have put in front of others… claiming to be a follower of Jesus and not living a life that is worthy; seeing a spiritual or physical need and not offering to help; straying from what is important to things that have no lasting purpose, putting my needs and preferences before someone else’s needs; worrying about my own reputation and welfare when God will provide all I need so that I can freely serve others, etc.
Matthew 18:5-7 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 6 If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!
Note: The word “child” here doesn’t refer to one’s age, but one’s relationship to God – see the last blog for the reasoning behind this.
Do we ignore Jesus’ teaching not to put stumbling blocks in front of others? How do we put up stumbling blocks in our churches? Perhaps we do it by requiring people to meet our theological and political expectations before we accept them. How do we put up stumbling blocks in our private lives? Perhaps by avoiding making ourselves vulnerable and developing holy relationships with those who need us? How can we remove these?
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